At Linc we understand that dealing with blood cancer isn’t just about medical treatments and looking after your physical health, it’s about your general well-being too. That’s why our award-winning specialist psychology team is dedicated to improving patient experience.
This personalised service is there to support patients and their families at any stage throughout this time. Sitting within the NHS, and working closely with the haematology team, our psychologists are well-placed to understand the challenges of being diagnosed and undergoing treatment. Along with the haematology team and ward staff, they are on hand to support patients and their families during hospital admissions at Cheltenham General Hospital. They also support those having outpatient treatments, offering appointments at both Cheltenham and Gloucester Hospitals.
There for you if at times, you feel the usual ways of coping and the support you have aren’t quite enough. Our psychologists can offer you a safe space to be open and honest about how you’re feeling. And as we’re all unique, and we all have our own way of navigating through challenging times, our psychologists tailor this time to what’s important to you and what you need – we don’t believe in a one-size-fits-all approach.
Our team are specialists in supporting patients who have blood cancer. Their many years of experience allow them to explore with you how best to meet your needs. They understand that your ideas about this are generally most likely to work for you and can also make suggestions if and when you think this would be helpful. This might involve talking about the impact of having cancer, looking at ways to manage different emotions or stress, or setting yourself some goals to help you move towards the things you’re passionate about. They can also help with accessing other services that you and your family can benefit from.
We want to help you take positive steps to feel more in control of what’s happening to you and your family. We’re confident that over time you’ll see what progress you have made and you’ll be proud of how far you’ve come.
We believe strongly in how much you can gain from our psychology service – our psychologists are part of an award-winning team! In 2023 this team won the prestigious Macmillan Professional Excellence Award in Quality Improvement which is just an incredible achievement and recognition for all their hard work.
If you are wondering if meeting with our psychologists could be helpful for you or someone you know, then a good place to start is to have a discussion with your haematology doctor, specialist nurse or other health care professional about your concerns and whether a referral to us would be helpful. We know that occasionally patients don’t feel comfortable talking to their medical team so if needed you can ask the Linc team about a referral or you can contact the Linc Psychology team directly on 0300 422 8523 and ask for the Linc Psychology service. Alternatively, please complete the self-referral form belowand a member of the Linc Psychology Team will be in touch with you.
Please be aware referrals are responded to as quickly as possible however should you feel in crisis and need urgent support, please contact your GP or out of hours GP. The following organizations are also available to you:
1. Glos. Crisis Team (NHS service for 12 years+) – 0800 169 0398
2. Samaritans – 116 123
3. Saneline – 0300 304 7000
4. CALM (for men) – 0800 068 4141
5. Glos Suicide Crisis (charity) – 079 7597 4455
6. Glos wellbeing (including self-harm) helpline – 0808 801 0606
7. PAPYRUS (for under 35s) – 0800 068 4141
8. TIC+ (for 9-25s & parents) – 01594 37377
